• The regional health agency Occitanie announced on Friday the death of two people infected with the Delta variant in the Gers.

  • To curb its spread, tracing and testing measures were deployed in this department over the weekend and no new positive cases were detected.

  • If the Delta variant is likely to replace the Alpha over the next few weeks according to the Toulouse virologist Jacques Izopet, the best way to limit the serious forms and its spread remains, according to him, vaccination.

On Friday, the Regional Health Agency announced the death of two patients in the Gers, infected with the Delta variant of the coronavirus, and seven other suspected positive cases are being sequenced.

To avoid its spread and the resumption of the epidemic, an immediate action plan was deployed over the weekend in this department, neighboring the Landes where the variant would concern more than 70% of cases, without this being reflected. by an increase in the number of hospitalizations.

No new cases after screening

This may be where one of the deceased, who was not vaccinated and had co-morbidities, was infected.

She had indeed spent a stay in a care center in the Landes, before being admitted to Condom then Auch.

Throughout the weekend, the health authorities worked to trace the contacts of these patients.

“We have carried out tests in the family environment, on people intervening at home, but also in medical transport companies and among hospital nursing staff.

For the moment, all the tests have turned out to be negative, we still have to do some tomorrow, ”

the regional director of the Regional Health Agency, Pierre Ricordeau

, told

20 Minutes

.

17 suspected cases being sequenced

For the time being, in Occitania, ten cases of the variant have been confirmed by the Toulouse virology laboratory since the first cases last April. “The screening strategy has been changed and we are now looking for specific mutations. We have identified viruses possessing the characteristic mutation of the Delta variant in 17 other samples for which sequencing is in progress, in addition to the ten cases already confirmed. We have a strong suspicion because there is the 452-R mutation, but as always a mutation may be shared with other variants, but there is a good chance that this will be confirmed by the end of the week, early next week, ”says Professor Jacques Izopet, head of the virology service.

For this virus specialist, however, the multiplication of cases is not for the moment a source of panic.

Nor a confirmation of a greater severity of this variant, the people who died in the Gers indeed presented comorbidities and were not vaccinated.

“When the Alpha variant (English) arrived at the beginning of the year, we had a replacement of the previous strains.

And until mid-February, we had not had an increase in incidence when the Alpha had become the majority.

It may very well be that we encounter this situation, where one virus will replace another without this necessarily resulting in an increase in incidence, ”says Jacques Izopet.

But for him, the best way to curb its spread is to maintain barrier gestures and vaccination.

Anticipate and vaccinate

Even if the Delta variant has a greater propensity to be less well neutralized by antibodies, the effectiveness of the vaccination remains, especially for the occurrence of severe forms. “This is why it is important to be vaccinated when there are few cases and that we can control the chains of contamination. The return to a normal life could make one think that there is no more urgency to be vaccinated, but it is the reverse, because in September it will be more difficult to manage the epidemic. Because it is likely that it will spread like everywhere else, ”insists Pierre Ricordeau, who noted a decline in the first injections in Occitania.

# COVID19


👉 The #DeltaVariant is circulating in the #Gers, the only prevention is #vaccination |

To fight against the virus, get vaccinated!



🔹 To #Auch: June 28 to July 2


🔹 To #LIsleJourdain: June 29


🔹 To #Condom: July 3



☎️ Appointment at https://t.co/SlXM3cTMqp pic.twitter.com/CmsDGZS2Py

- Department of Gers (@ LeGers32) June 26, 2021

In the Gers, while the incidence rate is low, with 13 positive cases per 100,000 people, vaccination has experienced a surge in recent days, especially since this weekend with the announcement of the two deaths.

This Monday, the world was rushing to the large center of Auch to receive his injection.

"There is a good dynamic and it is necessary that this continue because the level of collective immunity is far from being reached in this department, less affected by the waves of epidemic than the Grand-Est for example", insists the director of the Regional Health Agency.

Health

Coronavirus: Is Russia Undergoing a Third Wave?

Health

Coronavirus: Six in ten French people fear a rebound in the epidemic by September

  • Anti-covid vaccine

  • Covid 19

  • epidemic

  • Vaccination

  • Toulouse

  • Coronavirus

  • Health